And the good old man was gathered unto his fathers.


77. BAD SPECULATION

[This is told of bears, rattlesnakes, etc., as well as Indians.]

At a recent festive occasion a gentleman who was making a few remarks was
repeatedly interrupted by another one of the company. He bore it patiently
at first, but finally said that it reminded him of a story he had heard. He
said that a man, whom business had called away a short distance from his
home in the city, thought he would pay his way back again by purchasing
a number of hogs and driving them home. He did so, but when he and the
hogs arrived at their destination the market for the latter had fallen
considerably in price, and the hogs had also lost weight on the journey. It
was remarked to him that he had made rather a bad speculation. "Yes--well,
yes," he answered reflectively. "Yes--but then, you see, _I had their
company all the way_!"


78. SATISFIED WITH HIS SITUATION

[The following may not be strictly true, but it well illustrates that there
is always a lower depth in misfortune, and--that Western roads are often
somewhat muddy.]

Some years ago, when riding along one of the almost impassable roads in the
far West, I observed a dark-looking object lying in the middle of the road,
and my natural curiosity impelled me to dismount and examine it. It proved